January 29, 2008 eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts

January 29, 2008
index to previous eNotes

1. NACD Makes FY09 Approps Push
NACD’s Legislative Committee recently approved fiscal year (FY) 2009 appropriations funding requests for NACD’s three priority appropriations: Conservation Technical Assistance, State and Private Forestry and 319 Nonpoint Source Grants. These programs were identified as top priorities by the NACD Board of Directors in July 2007 based on their national scope and their critical importance to delivery of conservation at the local level.

NACD’s appropriations requests from Congress are:

Conservation Technical Assistance: $888.890 million
State and Private Forestry: $289.021 million
319 Nonpoint Source Grants: $210.536 million

The President is expected to release his FY 2009 budget request in a matter of weeks, which will officially begin the appropriations process. Once Congress has the President’s request, subcommittees for each area of jurisdiction in the House and Senate will hold hearings and formulate their own respective proposals.

NACD’s staff has been engaging key Congressional offices and submitting official requests, as well as meeting with the President’s Office of Management and Budget to discuss appropriations funding for the next fiscal year.

2. NACD Submits Great Lakes Testimony to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a hearing last week to assess the “Progress toward Improving Water Quality in the Great Lakes.” NACD submitted testimony to be included in the record for the hearing, highlighting the work of conservation districts in the Great Lakes Basin. The testimony focuses on the tools available to districts for water quality improvement and the creative partnerships districts utilize to address resource issues in the Great Lakes region. NACD’s testimony also highlights the potential impact of federal programs such as the EPA 319 Nonpoint Source Grants in leveraging state and local funding for natural resource conservation.

Read the full testimony on NACD’s website at http://nacdnet.org/policy/input/testimony/.

3. Former North Dakota Governor Confirmed as USDA Secretary
Former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday as the next Secretary of Agriculture. Schafer will replace former Secretary Mike Johanns, who resigned in September 2007 to pursue a U.S. Senate campaign in Nebraska.

Schafer was Governor of North Dakota, a state in which agriculture is the number one industry, from 1992 until 2000. Prior to serving as Governor, Schafer was a business executive with the Gold Seal Company located in Bismarck, N.D. Click here to view Schafer’s full biography on the USDA website.

NACD congratulates Secretary Schafer and looks forward to working with him as work continues on a new Farm Bill.

4. NACD Leaders on the Go Serving Districts
There has not been any grass growing under the feet of NACD’s officers and staff during the first weeks of 2008. In addition to preparing full-time for our upcoming annual meeting, NACD leaders have taken time to represent conservation districts on Capitol Hill, and to come to you to learn about your successes and help with your challenges.

Last week, NACD Acting President Steve Robinson and Secretary/Treasurer John Redding made their second trip of the New Year to Washington, D.C. to participate in timely meetings with Congressional members and staff. They joined NACD CEO Krysta Harden and Director of Legislative Affairs Keira Franz in meetings with House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Tom Harkin’s conservation staff and with Senate Agriculture Committee Minority Staff Director Martha Scott Poindexter. The meetings centered on conservation districts’ Farm Bill priorities and interest in ensuring that conservation program administration is not included in the final Farm Bill package.

This week finds your leaders on the road again. NACD CEO Krysta Harden addressed the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts' annual meeting yesterday, discussing the status of the 2008 Farm Bill, Chesapeake Bay funding, NACD’s Urban Strategy and appropriations. Steve Robinson, Keira Franz and Brad Ross are all attending the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts' annual meeting, where they will provide national updates and a training session on effectively working with legislators.

5. NACD Meets with the Agriculture Sustainability Initiative
Last week NACD met with a group of representatives from agriculture and food organizations, agribusiness companies, food companies and conservation organizations to continue discussions regarding the creation of sustainable outcomes for production agriculture.

To-date the group has made progress toward the development two tools: a sustainability index that will capture resource use in relation to agricultural productivity and a grower sustainability tool that will provide information to help producers improve their sustainability performance.

NACD was invited to serve on the Steering Committee of the industry coalition last summer and believes this group is taking a very proactive approach to addressing many of the global challenges facing agriculture. For more information about the Agriculture Sustainability Initiative, go to http://keystone.org/spp/env-sustain_ag.html. Stay tuned for more information about the Initiative and NACD’s involvement.

6. Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition Meets in D.C.
NACD joined other members of the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition (SUFC) last week at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. SUFC’s goal is to promote urban forestry on a national level. SUFC is a coalition of 16 associations and organizations interested in urban forests. NACD has been a member of the coalition since its formation in 2004.

At the meeting, members reported on current activities and upcoming plans, such as increased outreach, FY09 appropriations and the development of technical tools to assess how trees affect the livability of urban settings. As a member of SUFC, NACD is working to partner districts with urban forestry groups in support of a USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry program. For background information on the SUFC visit http://www.urbanforestcoalition.com/calendar/coalitionActivities.aspx or contact NACD staff members Deb Bogar (deb-bogar@nacdnet.org) or Ralph Thier (ralph-thier@nacdnet.org.)

7. Planes, Trains and Automobiles—Find a Way to Reno!
Registrants for the 2008 NACD Annual Meeting are using a variety of vehicles to make their way to Reno, Nevada. We don’t care what form of transportation you use, as long as you get there! Departure dates may vary, but participants from across the country will all arrive in time for NACD’s 62nd Annual Meeting, February 10-13, 2008.

Themed “Conservation Beyond Boundaries,” the three-day, action-packed conference will feature priority-setting board meetings, presentations from top conservation leaders, informative workshops and exciting tours. Are you a last-minute traveler? No problem. Though the early registration deadline has passed, you can still register onsite in Reno. Conference details and a full agenda are available at http://www.nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting/.

And, as if the conference itself isn’t enough, Reno is located within fifty mile radius of beautiful Lake Tahoe. After the conference, visitors can choose to extend their stay and enjoy activities such as skiing, biking, camping, hunting, fishing and mountain climbing.

We’ll see you in Reno. Have a safe trip.

8. 2008 Stewardship Products Available for Order Online
Are you looking to spice up your local district or state association’s annual meeting? Look no further. This year’s NACD Stewardship materials aren’t just for kids. "Water is Life" materials are designed for use for a variety of events that occur before, during and for years after 2008 Stewardship Week. Use “Water Is Life” themed program blanks for your meeting program or distribute bookmarks as fun giveaways. Your meeting participants will also enjoy the water-themed puzzles on the placemat/activity sheet.

Visit www.nacdstore.org to place your order today. If you place an order of $150 or more (before shipping) by February 29, 2008, you will receive 10% off of your “Water is Life” materials. The discount is not applicable toward other NACD store merchandise. Visit http://www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/2008/ for more information on 2008 Stewardship Week and materials, including several free downloadable items.

Please note: If you plan to place an order from the catalog that was included in the Nov/Dec edition of News and Views, please note there is a price correction: Litany inserts are $7.50 for 100, not for 10 as listed in printed catalog.

9. Comments Solicited on National Invasive Species Council Management Plan
A draft of the 2008-2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan was recently released for public comment. This management plan will provide direction to the National Invasive Species Council (NISC) for Federal actions to prevent and control invasive species from fiscal year 2008-12.

NISC is an inter-Departmental council that helps to coordinate and ensure complementary, cost-efficient and effective Federal activities regarding invasive species. NISC is co-chaired by the Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior and Commerce and includes the Departments of State, Defense, Transportation, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Health and Human Services along with Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Agency for International Development and National Aeronautics and Atmospheric Administration.

The draft plan is available for comment through February 11, 2008 and can be obtained at http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/council/mpdraft07.pdf. For information on how to submit comments, click here.

10. Center for Watershed Protection Announces Coastal Counties Restoration Funding
The National Association of Counties (NACo), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Community-Based Restoration Program, announced the second year of funding for the Coastal Counties Restoration Initiative (CCRI). The initiative provides financial assistance on a competitive basis to innovative, high quality county-led or supported projects. In 2008, CCRI will provide $500,000 in grants to improve stream, river, estuarine and other important marine habitats. A priority area for CCRI is the removal of fish passage barriers in coastal streams and rivers.

Grants will range from $50,000-$100,000, based upon need. Conservation districts are eligible for these grants but must have a letter of support from their chief elected county official. The deadline for applications is March 24, 2008. Information and guidelines are available at http://www.naco.org/ccri.

11. NACD Calendar of Events
February 10-13, 2008, 2008 NACD Annual Meeting, Reno, NV
July 18-23, 2008, NACD Summer Board Meeting and Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
Aug. 3-5, 2008, Northeast Region Meeting, Portsmouth, NH

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